Sicily, women and cinema at the 75th Cannes Film Festival
12 classics of film history have been reinterpreted through the lens of fashion photographer MOJA – and the photographs brought to life through our AR technology.
The pan-European photography exhibition “Sicily, Women and Cinema”, opening at the Cannes Film Festival 2022, is a tribute to women: 12 characters from 12 films are reinterpreted through the lens of fashion photographer MOJA and strongly staged. Via augmented reality, we turn the photographs into moving images: If the smartphone camera is pointed at a photograph, making-of videos and further links give deep insights into the story, the idea and the inspiration behind the artworks.
The exhibition “Women and Cinema” was initiated in 2017 in the wake of the #MeToo revelations. The goal of Luxembourg-based fashion photographer MOJA was to make a statement in the industry and celebrate the strength of women. The photo series gives voice to the female characters, who are rather reserved in the original films, and strongly showcases them in original locations. This year – supported by the country of Sicily – the focus is on the Sicilian landscape, film history and femininity as narrative elements.
Photographer MOJA: “Sicily, contrary to what everybody thinks, is a matriarchal society. The problem we had when selecting films to reinterpret is that films of the neorealism period, which is the period where Italy created the most beautiful cinema, were very masculine. Unfortunately, women in these films often have the same role – a role which either ends badly or where she is an object and not a subject. We, therefore, have to reverse the story and think of it in another way.”
The repositioning of Sicilian film legends in original locations will also help to convey a more authentic image of Sicily that invites people to discover the beauty and diversity of the country.
